Now, when I first got Sophie, my initial thought was that I would be teaching her to behave and perform all kinds of sweet tricks. However, what I did not expect was to discover how much my dog could teach me. That's right, I have learned some life lessons from my dog! Here are a few lessons from Sophie which I would like to share:
Lesson One: Have Patience
On a weekend during June of last summer, Sophie and I had two entirely different ideas of how I would spend my day. Sophie wanted me to spend the afternoon tossing her large collection of dog toys one at a time for her to chase around the house. I, on the other hand, was planning on spending some time packing for the upcoming trip to Washington Leadership Conference. As I laid my suitcase out on the floor, Sophie picked up a toy, sat down right next to the bag, and gave a heavy sigh. It did not work. As I began making a
pile of what I wanted to pack in the bag, she gave a small whine. I then gave her a pat on the head and proceeded to pack. So, Sophie got up, jumped inside the suitcase, and laid down in it. I merely laughed, placed her back on the floor, and quickly finished packing. Finally, once the task was complete, I tossed her toy. Sophie knew if she was patient enough, she would eventually get her wish.Lesson Two: Persevere
It happens quite often. I absentmindedly throw a dog toy while working on something else, and the toy lands in a place where Sophie is unable to successfully retrieve it. Take, for example, the time her dog toy somehow landed behind a door. Well, the simple route for Sophie to take would be to bark until someone decided to move the door for her. Sophie, however, was determined to solve the problem herself. Her first solution was to place her paw under the door to attempt to retrieve it from the shadows. She did not have any luck. Her next solution was to bark at the door. To her surprise, this did not work either! Finally, she strategically angled herself to where she could give the door a small nudge with her nose to open it just enough to grab the dog toy. That day, Sophie demonstrated her persistence and willingness to work and try different methods to reach her own solution.
Lesson Three: Face Your Fears
Allow me to try to paint a quick picture in your mind. The front porch of my house contains three standard-sized porch steps. Sophie was about five pounds when I got her. In other words, she was a small dog, which made our porch seem very large. After a few weeks of carrying Sophie out to the yard, I decided it was time that she learned to walk with a leash. Now, Sophie had no problem following me with a leash attached to her collar. Instead, her greatest obstacle was that porch and its steps. As she followed me to the edge of the porch and looked down at the giant step in front of her, she gave an anxious whine. She was terrified of taking that first step. However, soon enough, her desire to get out to the yard exceeded her fear of the journey she needed to take to get there. She nervously jumped down the first step, then the second, and, finally, the third. Sophie faced her fear.
Lesson Four: Dream Big
The sound of plastic coming from the refrigerator is like music to Sophie's ears. It means only one thing: she is going to eat some cheese. Cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, or Colby, Sophie loves cheese. Therefore, anytime that sound of plastic in the kitchen is within earshot, Sophie immediately begins to hope someone is finding her a tasty treat. Now, perhaps Sophie's wish of receiving her favorite treat is not necessarily a major aspiration in which we all share, but the lesson is still the same. Sophie is teaching us to set our goals high and reach for our dreams.
Lesson Five: Love Your Life
The final lesson from Sophie is probably the simplest. She greets even the simplest things with excitement and joy. Sophie's favorite dog toy is her blue rubber ball. It is not uncommon to have the sound of the ball rolling on the wooden floors and an excited bark break any silence present in the house. Usually, she not-so-subtly asks that someone in my family directs all attention to her ball and continuously rolls it for her to chase and retrieve. However, she does not allow those instances in which we fail to entertain her ruin her fun. Instead, she picks up her ball, drops it at the top of the stairs, gives it a little nudge, and chases it down the stairs. Once at the foot of the stairs, she proceeds to pick the ball up again, carry it back up the stairs, and do it all over again. Sophie enjoys every minute of every day because she wants to. She loves her life because she surrounds herself with joy and those whom she loves.
Now, our realm of possibilities in life are much more broad than dog toys, porch steps, and cheddar cheese. However, these lessons from Sophie still present important lessons. Let's take Sophie's advice and approach life with patience and perseverance, face our fears, dream big, and, most importantly, love this life we have the opportunity to live!
